News 07:00
BULLETIN 16 April 7 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The Justice Department fires 54 officials for corruption, fraud and misconduct
# Fuel prices are set to rise following the NERSA tariff approval
# And Donald Trump threatens Harvard University that it could lose its tax-exempt status
# The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has dismissed 54 officials as part of a major disciplinary crackdown. This follows the finalisation of 164 out of 223 internal labour relations cases, involving offences such as corruption, fraud, theft, dishonesty, and unauthorised absence. Fifteen of the dismissals occurred between January and April this year. The department’s Terrence Manase says the 15 cases have also been referred for criminal prosecution:
# The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has approved an 8.73-percent increase in Transnet’s allowable revenue for the 2025/26 financial year, resulting in a 5.23-cents per litre rise in fuel prices. A further 5.71-percent increase in allowable revenue for the 2026/27 financial year will lead to an additional 3.80-cents per litre increase. Nersa says these adjustments are aimed at supporting Transnet’s efforts to enhance pipeline security and reduce fuel theft.
# Solidarity says it is concerned about the employment equity regulations that have been published in the Government Gazette. The regulations among other things set out what an employer must look at when drawing up an affirmative action plan. Solidarity’s, Anton van der Bijl, says the regulations require an employer to comply with sectoral targets as declared by the minister. He says however to date, no such sectoral targets have been set, making compliance impossible:
# The DA is calling for a thorough investigation into the Walter Sisulu University deadly shooting. One person was shot and killed while two students were wounded at the Mthatha campus on Tuesday after a residence manager allegedly opened fire on students who had been protesting over unresolved residential campus issues. The DA’s, Yusuf Cassim, says the university’s management must be held accountable, and the systemic issues driving the unrest be addressed at the highest level:
# US president Donald Trump has suggested that Harvard University could lose its tax-exempt status and be taxed as a political entity. The university is exempt from federal income tax as an educational institution under the 1986 Internal Revenue Code. The Trump administration recently froze around 41.4-billion-rand in multi-year grants for the university. This is after it defied demands made by the government including shutting down all its diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes. Trump has accused Harvard of pushing political, ideological, and terrorist-inspired ideas.
# Olympic Games: The International Olympic Committee has released more information on the addition of a golf mixed-team event which will debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. There will be a maximum of one team per country, with teams comprised of one male and one female who have already qualified for the men’s and women’s individual Olympic golf competitions. The event will be contested as a 36-hole competition. The addition of the mixed-team event marks the first Olympic Golf team competition since the 1904 Games.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-1-cents and the euro at 21-rand-54-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-20-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-294-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-266-dollars-39-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-5-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….